Haemophilus influenzae meningitis in school-aged children.
The relative frequency of meningitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae in school-age children was determined by reviewing etiologic diagnoses in children 6 to 15 years old admitted to four hospitals from 1974 to 1978. Sixty-five (45%) of 145 patients had aseptic meningitis and 29 (20%) had bacterial meningitis. Thirty-two (22%) of the patients had received antibiotic therapy before diagnosis, and 19 (13%) could not be classified. Six (21%) of the 29 patients with bacterial meningitis had H influenzae meningitis. Although aseptic disease was the most common type of meningitis, initial antibiotic therapy for presumed bacterial meningitis in school-aged children should include adequate coverage for H influenzae.
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008582:Meningitis, Aseptic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008583:Meningitis, Haemophilus / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents